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Focus on Energy Earns Home Performance with Energy Star Recognition
WASHINGTON – The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are honoring 127 organizations with 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year Awards for their commitment to protecting the environment while encouraging the widespread use of energy efficient technologies that can help homeowners reduce energy use, save money and improve the quality of their homes. Nine organizations, including Wisconsin-based Focus on Energy, are being honored specifically by the Energy Department in the Home Performance with Energy Star category for their outstanding contribution to develop and enhance energy saving programs.
“Each year, Energy Star partners create jobs, protect the environment and raise the bar for the home improvement industry through their dedication to energy efficiency,” said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson. “This national program helps homeowners by providing access to innovative home improvement solutions, enabling American families to save money by saving energy.”
Through 2013, with help from Energy Star, American families and businesses have saved $297 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This year’s winners were selected from 16,000 Energy Star partners, including manufacturers, retailers, public schools, hospitals, real estate companies and home builders. All of the winners will be formally recognized on April 29 during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities’ statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, is receiving Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence recognition for its comprehensive approach to delivering Home Performance with Energy Star, commercial sector energy efficiency, and Energy Star certified products and programs. Notable accomplishments include:
Shifting its Home Performance with Energy Star program design to a contractor-based model, enabling increased project completion rates, energy savings per project, and building shell measures per home, while decreasing project duration from assessment to project submission;
Completing more than 2,550 projects through its Home Performance with Energy Star program and delivering more than $4.5 million in residential incentives; and
Promoting a robust selection of Energy Star certified residential and commercial products across its portfolio of residential, commercial, and industrial programs, and exceeding program goals by significant margins. Focus on Energy’s Residential Lighting Program alone incentivized over 7 million Energy Star certified lamps through nearly 1,100 store locations across the state, delivering approximately 314 million kWh savings in 2013.
The 2014 Partner of the Year Awards are given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by delivering energy efficiency information and services to customers. For a complete list of award winners, visit the Energy Star website. Learn more about the program by visiting the Home Performance with Energy Star website.
